Meet Volunteer Mark Kenworthy

Growing up in New Jersey Mark Kenworthy spent every summer at the Jersey shore. When he moved from Mendham, NJ to Stuart, getting involved with Florida Oceanographic Society seemed like a natural choice. He began bagging oysters for the FL.O.O.R. (Florida Oceanographic Oyster Restoration) program about 18 months ago. Last fall he started water testing and in May of this year, he added weekly maintenance cleaning of the seagrass nursery to his volunteer duties.

“Barnegat Bay was pristine when I was a kid, and now there is a lot of environmental degradation similar to what we see here with seagrass and marine species dying,” says Mark. “I want to help with conservation, and I really enjoy being a citizen scientist and volunteer at the Coastal Center.”

Mark retired after a long career as a telecom technician for Nortel. His move to Stuart allows him to bike, kayak and hike year-round. He’s enjoyed learning to sail at the U.S. Sailing Center in Jensen Beach. Mark is also pursuing new creative interests.

“I always wanted to try painting and pottery but I didn’t have time when I was working,” he says. “My job was very technical and I liked that challenge of working with my hands and my brain. Now I’m using the creative and artistic part of my brain more and it’s a lot of fun.”

As a water quality tester, Mark spends about an hour each week gathering data such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water clarity at the Willoughby Creek station near Whiticar Boat Works. His data is used for the weekly Water Quality Report published by the Florida Oceanographic Society. Mark also comes to the Coastal Center each week to help maintain the 35 tanks that make up the seagrass nursery. The FOSTER (Florida Oceanographic Seagrass Training, Education and Restoration) program gets volunteers involved in restoring and conserving the seagrass population of the Indian River Lagoon.

We are grateful to friendly, dedicated volunteers like Mark who share our mission to inspire environmental stewardship through education, research and advocacy. Mark brings enthusiasm and camaraderie to our volunteer team!

Mark Kenworthy Snapshot

Born in: Morristown, NJ

Alma mater: Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA

Top tunes: Rock and Alternative music

Happy biking trails: Jupiter Island

Kayaking faves: Loxahatchee River and Fort Pierce

New interests: Painting, ceramics, sailing